Ello Creation System ("Ello") was a

construction toy A construction set is a standardized piece assortment allowing for the construction of various different models. Construction sets are most often marketed as toys. Popular construction toy brands include Lincoln Logs and ''LEGO''. Toys ...

manufactured by the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

toy-company

Mattel, Inc. Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company headquartered in El Segundo, California. Founded in Los Angeles by Harold Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Ruth and Elliot Handler in January 1945 ...

between the years 2002-2004. The toy set was created by the American designe
Richard Manville
The Ello Creation System was a breakthrough toy created to engage girls in construction play.

History

Mattel Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company headquartered in El Segundo, California. Founded in Los Angeles by Harold Matson and the husband-and-wife duo of Ruth Handler, ...

Girls-Division President, Adrienne Fontanella, and Senior VP of Worldwide Girls Design, Ivy Ross, were looking for and exploring new opportunities for girls outside of

doll A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...

s and traditional doll play-patterns. In 2001, with the intent to find an opportunity in non-traditional play patterns for girls, Ivy Ross created an in-house

think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...

(later named Project Platypus). The think tank consisted of a variety of volunteer Mattel employees from inside and outside of the product development department. The think tank's goal was to create a toy that would successfully engage girls in construction play. Over a series of weeks the think tank divided into a collection of teams and individuals who developed competing concepts for a series of

focus group A focus group is a group interview involving a small number (sometimes up to ten) of demographically predefined participants. Their reactions to specific researcher/evaluator-posed questions are studied. Focus groups are used in market researc ...

testing and selection by girls and their parents. A concept named ''Ello'' created by former

Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the German Bild Lilli doll, Bild Lilli doll which Hand ...

Packaging Creative Director Richard Manville received enthusiastic praise from both girls and parents alike. Described as a "creation system", the Ello concept (targeted primarily to girls ages 5 to 14) incorporated some traditional elements of

craft A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale pr ...

(including

beading Beading may refer to: * Craftwork using beads or Beadwork * Architectural mouldings, for which see Molding (decorative) Moulding (British English), or molding (American English), also coving (in United Kingdom, Australia), is a strip of materi ...

and graphic customization), shapes and panels in unique color palettes, a variety of themes, and a flexible intuitive building process. The toys variety and potential combination of parts gave children an opportunity to create characters, jewelry, building structures, decorative accessories, or whatever they could imagine. Manville began the development of the toy in 2001, working with engineers Jim Mills-Winkler and Armen Danielian to perfect the core construction elements. Designer Stella Jung, inventor/engineer James Molina joined the team in 2002 to develop and expand the line. The Ello product line won several

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platinum best toy awards for educational toy excellence in its short three-season life span. However, development of the toy ceased in 2004. No official explanation exists for the demise of the line.

References

* * *
"Record of Ello Creation System Parts by Inventor Richard B. Manville"
United States Patent and Trademark Office. Construction toys Mattel {{Toy-stub